Both self-propelled and pull-type windrowers are typically provided with both swathboards and windrow forming shields. These structures are located behind the conditioning mechanism of the machine generally in the path of travel of the stream of conditioned materials as they are discharged rearwardly through the air by the conditioning mechanism. The swathboard is located ahead of the forming shields but behind the conditioning mechanism. Accordingly, if the swathboard is lowered down into its operating position, the stream of crop materials will engage the swathboard and be directed down to the ground in a wide swath, never reaching the forming shields. On the other hand, if the swathboard is raised up to its standby position, the stream of materials passes by the retracted swath board and engages the forming shields, which converge the wide stream into a narrower flow and direct the material onto the ground into the shape of a windrow. Currently, however, all such adjustments of the swathboard must be carried out manually by the operator after leaving the tractor seat and walking to the rear of the header where the adjustment controls are located. This wastes valuable time and energy, as well as making it difficult to "fine tune" the swathboard without significant manual trial and error.